if you're lucky, you die last

ISADORA ELBERT ninteen. vixen. math & earth science major. ❝ Butterflies are self propelled flowers. ❞

[isadoraelbert-blog]

vivbrooks:

As always, Vivian finds herself checking over and over again to make sure everything would run smoothly tonight. At first the party had been a fun idea just for a little attention and fun but after the last game it was now a way of raising morale for the Fox’s loss. It was a strange concept to have that kind of pressure and more importantly to care about how it was received. Sure, she’d make fun of their sometimes surly ways and mysterious moods but Vivian did like the Foxes. The team was growing on her daily and even she felt a pang of disappointment at the loss. Not to mention, the interesting talk she had with her mother about future career prospects hours after the game. Safe to say, she needed her mind off of it.

So once the party’s in full swing so is she. Slightly drunk, she’s engaging in plenty of conversation with names she’d soon forget and dancing. The usual cool composure had almost completely melted away. “Do you know that I was supposed to be a child star?” Words are slurred and mixed with mischief as she randomly faced the person she saw. “Yeah, imagine a crazier Vivian Brooks. Probably popping pills with Miley Cyrus and whatever.” 

                    Some of the Vixens had made it clear that this was not optional. The party was something she had to attend. Isadora was never the type to like parties. She always felt awkward at them. She liked being around people of course, but she just didn’t like parties. Isadora would rather do something more productive with her time. Even running was more important than going to a party. Isadora didn’t like the loud music, or the drunk people, or the amount of people grinding up on each other. It wasn’t her scene. She’d rather be studying, cheering, anything else besides being at a stupid party. She stayed towards the edge of the party, in a costume that no one was probably going to guess unless they were -- well, unless they played a lot of video games. 

                    She barely even noticed until Vivian was in front of her, that she wasn’t alone. Or as alone she could be in a room filled with people. She hadn’t had anything to drink, but was sure Vivian and the rest of the people were either drunk or tipsy. Although it depended on the person. She couldn’t be the only sober person there. “Yeah?” Isadora said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the captain’s statement. While Isadora liked to act like she didn’t care about the Vixens, she did actually have a heart. “Seems like a fun way to spend time,” she shrugged. She didn’t have any interesting stories that she wanted to go into about her life. She liked to keep her lips sealed about her past. 

[isadoraelbert-blog]

kentcheongs:

Kent was pretty sure the Vixens didn’t get a similar scholarship to the Foxes – not because they were any less talented, but they tried out once they had already been through their freshman year, after they had already accepted the academic scholarship. They didn’t go to their own competitions, and there were seemingly multiple squads on campus, their attention focused on one sports team. They deserved compensation and praise for being Vixens, of course, but he assumed many of them did not have the scholarship the Foxes had. 

Of course, without the money behind the position he played, Kent wouldn’t have even come to Palmetto, or even college in general, so he wasn’t one to judge anyone’s situation. He would have been teaching tourists to surf by day and couch-surfing himself at night without the scholarship, which at least put a steady roof over his head for five more years before he was forced to navigate the world on his own. Fortunately, Kent was talented enough to keep up his scholarship, but he also needed to keep grades up… somewhat. Of course, as he progressed through his business major (which he still wasn’t sure what he would use for come graduation), classes became more difficult, but athletes brought money and students to the school – he couldn’t fail that easily. He always had a few extra classes that boosted his GPA, though Kent would complete all the hard work eventually – it would just take a bit longer than the rest.

He wasn’t the most intelligent Fox, or person in general. He was a slave to his emotions, to his anger, with little rational thought in sight. His mind was always racing, with rationality unable to keep up, and focus not having much luck, either, especially when it came to class, when he could be daydreaming of some future greatness and his next step, next shot, next hurdle instead of calculus. He could have easily fit into the category of the dumb jock bully, but as mean as Kent was, he never tried to go out of his way to make fun of someone. Of course, he wasn’t the nicest guy, but he tried to avoid those he disliked – if they couldn’t get close, they couldn’t find his vulnerabilities, his guilt, then there was no problem. He only lashed out, he only got violent, if things got too close. 

With Isadora, while it seemed as if he was lashing out, it was really Kent trying to avoid a conversation in the first place. It seemed as if she was looking at him at first, which made him assume she would start a conversation, and then worry it would be about his performance in the game. He didn’t want to talk about it, and certainly didn’t wanna have an altercation with the Vixen, so Kent tried to get her to go away before any of those outcomes could even have the chance to occur, though it didn’t seem like it was working. “I mean, isn’t that just the general rule of personal space? Looked like you wanted something.”

                   Isadora knew that she was going to go to a school far away. She’d made that decision a long time ago. As much as she like Michigan, she also hated it. She wanted to get away from it for a while – maybe just be herself for a while. There was no doubt in her mind that Palmetto wasn’t the school for her. South Carolina was far away and most people wouldn’t even try to figure out who she was or anything about her past. she didn’t want that to haunt her like it had when she was in high school.  But the problem with being out of state was that the tuition was ridiculously expensive. She, of course, had her scholarship, but it only covered part of her tuition. Luckily both her fathers were plenty rich enough to cover prat of her expenses. But she knew she was one of the few lucky ones that wouldn’t come out of school with a ton of student loans.

                   College had always been on the table for her though. She wasn’t one of the unlucky few that didn’t get to go at all. In fact, Isadora had planned on going ever since she was young. She had grown up knowing that education was important. Her dads had drilled that into her head. Even if Isadora had a problem with English, she had pushed herself hard to do well in the subject despite it being a lot of work. Her aspirations for herself were high – she knew that. But Isadora had always been ambitious and stubborn beyond belief. She knew that some of the Foxes had picked easier majors, she understood that – as an athlete herself, double majoring was really difficult. She rarely had time for herself or for socializing. Even an easy major would have been difficult, though that wasn’t ever Isadora’s plan. The more complicated she could do, she would do it.  

                   Isadora liked to hide her emotions. She didn’t like other people knowing what she felt. Half the time, she believed that other people didn’t need to know what she was feeling. Most times, she just acted frustrated and annoyed at people. Those were the feelings she knew were safe to feel. She tended to not put people in categories. Even if someone seemed like a stereotypical person. There was always more to a person than what they showed people. Some people looked at her and just saw the cheerleader, some saw the math genius, and others saw the daughter of a murderer – but she was more than even just that. She had always been told to treat other people with kindness, unless she knew they were being bullies.

                   She was sure that Kent wasn’t being an asshole on purpose. He must have been frustrated at everything that was happening this season, but she wasn’t going to let her guard down, no matter what happened. “There are people that are shorter than five feet. I am literally a whole person away from you,” she responded. Most people had a specific length that they liked people. Five feet was generally a decent amount that a person could be away from another person. “What do you consider personal space?” she asked. Isadora wasn’t trying to be harsh, but she was being her usual direct self. “And what… pray, tell, do I look like I want? A conversation? No. I don’t want anything.”

[isadoraelbert-blog]

striker-brayden:

Brayden shoved his hands in the pockets of his hoodie as stepped through the door of the bar, already tense by the amount of people in there on a Friday night. He didn’t like crowds or paying for his drinks, but the thought of being around the others after their first loss of the season sounded like torture. He would just pretend like everyone’s moping and whining annoyed him, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t give a shit that they lost today. In the past, he didn’t care either way, as long as he had a spot on the team, but he was making an effort this year. He didn’t want to be an embarrassment this year, so he was feeling this loss harder than expected. He would suck it up and drop some cash on a few drinks if it meant not having to face reality for a little while. 

He slid into the only free barstool, next to a girl she vaguely recognized. She wasn’t a Fox obviously, so she must be a Vixen. “Uh Whisky on the rocks,” He requested when the bartender came to him, fishing out his ID and showing it to him. When he got his drink, he took a long sip, ready to feel nothing. Setting it down, he peered over at the potential Vixen. “You getting anything?”

                    The alternative of being at the bar was being somewhere with a bunch of people that were going to try and cheer her up. No one could do that. She wasn’t going to say that she was disappointed at the game, but she had really wanted the Foxes to win tonight. Instead it had been a rough game -- even she knew that. She knew that her friends weren’t going to understand what was going on and why she was so disappointed and upset. But being around other Vixens wasn’t going to help either. She wasn’t going to drink and didn’t expect any of the Vixens or Foxes to show up, but she did need to be around people. Hopefully no one would show up. She didn’t want to talk to anyone she knew. Isadora knew that was a problem -- to need to be around people, but to be so picky about who she wanted to be around. She was going to have to figure out how to deal with that -- but she’d put it off for a while. 

                    “Shit,” she responded, as a Fox slid down beside her, startling her a bit. She smiled at the bartender, and turned her attention to the man who sat down beside her. “As much as I’d love a drink, I’m only nineteen and I don’t wanna do anything illegal,” she smirked. It wasn’t like she’d never had anything to drink before, but her fake ID was somewhere... else. Lost in a pile of papers in the Den. 

[isadoraelbert-blog]

                    Isadora knew what it was like to lose. She’d lost enough over the years to know what loss felt like. But it was a different sort of loss -- in a way. Perhaps when she boiled it down, it was the same sort of emotions: anger, denial, disappointment in yourself and other people, sadness, even the feeling of hopelessness. It didn’t matter if the loss was something as simple as a game or more complicated, like the loss of faith in humanity. Technically they were the same. Looking at all the Foxes knew that they’d suffered a big loss tonight and even if Isadora knew so little about Exy, she knew that ending a winning streak was not something the team needed. Winning at everything though, was impossible. She didn’t want to give pep talks to everyone because that wasn’t something she could do. It was too stereotypical and Isadora was far too sarcastic to be the type to tell everyone that everything was going to be okay, when she didn’t believe that herself. She believed that things only got better because people made them better by forcing the situation to bend to their will. And she didn’t think that any of the Foxes wanted to hear that right now. So she wasn’t going to be the person that tried to cheer them up, as un-cheerleader-like as that was. 

                    While the rest of her own teammates went off to do whatever they did after a game, Isadora found herself not wanting to go back to the Vixen Den. She instead found herself locking her gear up in her locker and heading to the nearest bar. Some people said that drinking away problems didn’t help. But Isadora didn’t care and she didn’t have any problems right now anyway. She wanted to be around people, without being around people that she knew. 

[isadoraelbert-blog]

kentcheongs:

Isadora was one of the few Vixens Kent wasn’t familiar with. Part of it was because she was new, and it took time for him to get to know the newer Vixens, but another part of it was that he didn’t expect to be as busy as he was this semester. Maybe it was because the Foxes now had a reputation to uphold, based on how far they got in last year’s Spring Championships, which meant more practices and more training sessions and more time revolving around Exy (as if enough didn’t already). Maybe it was because he was caught off guard by the coursework he had to complete for his classes, especially as the middle of the semester meant more test and due dates. Either way, Kent was surprised by how little time he spent in his own bed, and how little time he could spend in the Vixen Den.

If Kent could skip classes, he would, but it was a condition of the scholarship that the athletes couldn’t be on any sort of academic probation, though their classes were made to be easy to avoid such a consequence. He wasn’t sure what he wanted out of life, just kept running through it head-first until he hit a wall he could not break. Really, college was a way to bide time instead of couch-surfing and trying to find a way to live on his own without help from his step-dad, and Exy was the reason he could afford to bide that time in the first place, so he kind of owed it to the Foxes.

It wasn’t like he was ashamed to wear the jersey or didn’t like playing, anyways. He didn’t mind being a Fox; it just meant there was more to fight for, and Kent enjoyed the rush of the fight when it didn’t pull at any of those uncomfortable emotional strings he tried to avoid like the plague. Sure, it could be frustrating, getting slack for any and every little thing he did wrong just because their team was so heavily associated with losing. People would use it as evidence to show the Foxes really didn’t deserve to be where they were now, and Wymack would use it as blame every time the Foxes didn’t do well (or that’s how Kent saw it, at least). It was frustrating, as was tonight’s decision by the ref, and he wasn’t going to let it go unchallenged.

Of course, the only thing more frustrating than one yellow card was two, and Kent still couldn’t get over it. Somehow, the boy who thought he was finally getting his anger under control found it slipping again - big surprise. “Then what are you here for, anyways?” he asked accusingly. It wasn’t like it was the weirdest hour, either - Kent just couldn’t help but display his anger, even if it was unjustified in its direction.

                   She still hadn’t gotten to know the Fox line up, despite being a Vixen for long enough to at least know all the Foxes. That was mainly because she spent most her time with her friends and not worrying about the Foxes or the Vixens. She wanted to get to know them eventually, but she did rank her studies higher than anything else. As much as that might have annoyed some of the members of the Vixens – she liked cheering, but it wasn’t her whole life and she was sure that she rubbed a few people the wrong way. Isadora was the type to sit in silence if she felt that’s what someone wanted. She didn’t blame any of the Foxes for not having time to learn her name because she hadn’t learned all the Foxes names yet either.

                  Most people assumed that Isadora was here on an athletic scholarship, but she wasn’t. Part of her money came from her parents – because they were pretty well off, the rest of it was an academic scholarship. Which meant that keeping her grades up was more than important, it was essential. She did her best to keep all her grades as perfect as she could. Isadora also spent any of her free time tutoring those that needed it, especially in math and science. It was her goal in life to become an earth scientist and that didn’t come without work. She loved college – and half judged people that didn’t feel the same way as she did.

                   Isadora had been on the other end of aggression before and she didn’t like it. Not at all. Of course, her old bullies mainly were passive aggressive or just downright mean, she knew how to handle herself around anger and aggression of any sort. She wasn’t going to take it from anyone no matter who they were. She didn’t care if someone had just lost something important to them, she was not going to let someone walk all over her – not again. Though Isadora knew that the Foxes had a tougher time than other people, it didn’t give them a free pass to treat others poorly.

                   “It’s not like two people can’t be in the same place at once,” she muttered under her breath. Isadora didn’t care if he heard her or not. Instead, she blinked in confusion. “Going for a walk. Didn’t realise that it called for permission to be within five feet of someone.”

[isadoraelbert-blog]

kentcheongs:

What. The. Fuck.

Those words were quickly becoming the motif of Kent’s evening. It started at the first remark from the Tornadoes, a hissed “what the fuck did you just say?” on the court line when one of their strikers thought they could get a rise out of the Fox, and they were right. That voice was the only other thing Kent could hear, aside from his racing heart and the slight ringing in his ear from the buzzer and his own cheers moments ago, as tensions settled and silence washed over the court in anticipation of the next play.

That first what the fuck apparently didn’t fly with the Tornadoes, and Kent could only find himself muttering “oh, what the fuck do you think you’re doing,” as sticks clattered to the floor and gloves fell after them, though the words weren’t meant to be heard. They didn’t need to be communicated when his body language did it for him, anyways, chest puffing out as his own stick and gloves hit the floor, sending a clear message: you don’t mess with Kent Cheong.

Fortunately, they wouldn’t. Unfortunately, the referees did. A whistle blew, and with it came a smug smirk from Kent, who immediately assumed justice would be served. Instead, the yellow card was shown his direction, the neon color reflecting in his eyes as they narrowed. “Wait, what the fuck?” he shouted, the first expletive that would immediately put the referees against him as he tried to argue his point. When the second was shown his way, he could only shout those three words again as he stepped off the court, fuming.

Now, wandering the halls, Kent was unable to let this anger wash away. He should have been able to let it settle; they won, after all. However, Kent was never the type of person who let things go. It all simmered within him, waiting for the right amount of heat to push him to his boiling point (which wasn’t very hard to achieve in the first place). So, instead, his anger burned red hot, causing the words to bubble up once more as he hissed at the person who approached. “What the fuck do you want?”

                   When it came to aggression, Isadora didn’t have much of it unless passive aggression counted. She tried to not even be passive aggressive, though that was difficult with lots of people testing her patience. Honestly, she understood those people that could act out and be aggressive. But it wasn’t like she was an expert when it came to anything except math and earth science. Isadora didn’t know everything, even if she pretended that she did. She wasn’t an expert at people in general.

                   Watching the Foxes was an experience every time. Isadora’s first year at Palmetto was filled mostly with academics rather than fun. She’d front loaded all her classes at the beginning of her freshman year. Now she was taking classes more in her majors. Although Isadora never believed in a weekend of chilling, she was actually enjoying watching the Foxes play. The passion they all had for the sport could be seen even from the sidelines. She was proud of them, even if she wasn’t a Fox herself. They didn’t care about their reputation; they just wanted to win and prove to the world that they could do this. It was inspiring.

                   She didn’t know much about Exy, but she knew the game had been a bit tense. A bit was being modest. Most people seemed to be in a better mood after this game at least. There were weird moods last game. This time Isadora noticed that people were at least feeling better. She hadn’t brought her homework along this weekend, but she wanted a day of rest from it all. Isadora had gone back to her room bored. The Discovery channel in the hotel room was playing some stupid show that she didn’t want to watch and she didn’t want to go out. Instead she decided to wander the halls of the hotel room, looking for someone to keep her company.

                   No one seemed to be doing the same thing as her, but she talked to a few of the strangers in the hotel. She was that bored that she was talking to strangers. Isadora talked to her dads for a little bit but not for long, she knew it was late and both of them had to work in the morning. She was walking down the hall of the hotel when she spotted one of the Foxes. She hadn’t introduced herself to him yet and decided now was better than ever.

                   “Whoa dude, chill. I don’t want anything.”

[isadoraelbert-blog]

mckennamonroe:

Run away. That concept never really crossed McKenna’s mind. Maybe, it was because she could be a little naive, letting herself believe that it was better to have an off family than nobody at all; that her grandparents truly wanted what was best for her. Their methods were extreme, but when things got bad, she reminded herself that their daughter had McKenna at sixteen and landed herself in prison after a DUI. They just wanted their granddaughter to be better. “Well, I’m glad your parents are excited about it, and they’re not wrong,” She shrugged. It did look good on college applications, but she didn’t really highlight her experience on hers, since she was already forced off the squad when the time to apply came around.

McKenna also cared deeply about academics, but Isadora seemed to take it to another level, in which she didn’t have time to get to know people because of them. She had the tendency to let school take over her life at times, stressing over keeping up her scholarship so much that she lost sleep, but she still liked to meet people, even if she was bad at it. “I wouldn’t say that, but I’m working on it. I’m always the new kid, but I never learned the best way to meet new people,” She admitted. “That does sound more fun.” She wasn’t ever into physics, choosing psychology as her major, but the banquets just made her nervous. 

                  Isadora hadn’t grown up in the nicest area in Detroit. Her parents hadn’t been wealthy, but they weren’t poor either – it sucked. But Detroit was a messed up city anyway and she was glad to have left it eventually. She had her problems with the people she’d gone to school with. Through all of that, Isadora had never thought about running away. She loved her parents too much to run away. Now the few foster cares she’d been to – that was a different story. Isadora was nothing, if not determined, to show how strong she was. Her dads had been a little wrong to be so excited about cheerleading. At least because her old squad were so mean to her. But it had looked good on her college applications. In addition to being so good at math and science, she’d proven that she was also at multiple different things. She was thankful that her dads had been supportive of her. “Yeah,” she smiled.

                  Most people didn’t understand Isadora’s obsession with academics. It wasn’t like she was good at all subjects. In fact, she was terrible at anything that had to do with English, History, and even languages. Some people didn’t understand Isadora’s want to study all the time – but she had a strict plan for her future. It was actually difficult for Isadora to sit down and study. She liked being with other people, even if it meant not doing her homework. She liked studying with groups of people and hated being alone more than anything. While she was good at making friends, she was also particular about the type of people that she let into her life. “I like meeting new people. Sometimes I just prefer those people that can keep up with me in a conversation. Sports talk is not something I care much for and you try talking to some people about quantum physics and they look at you like you’ve got three heads and are making it up.” She was exaggerating a little. “Maybe they’ll do it again sometime soon and I’ll let you tag along.”

[isadoraelbert-blog]

noahkamura:

Noah didn’t know Isadora as well as he knew some of the other Vixens, but it wasn’t exactly something he worried over. She was, after all, a sophomore, and thus new to the squad. This semester, though only a few weeks in, had been a whirlwind for Noah already, filled with more assignments than he was prepared for. With the rest of his time filled by practice and his boyfriend, he hadn’t been as social as he liked, though he guessed that was why he lingered outside of Fox Tower now, waiting for someone familiar to walk by so he could take advantage of the new free time he had on his hands.

The younger Vixen was definitely familiar in appearance to the junior, who smiled in her presence. She seemed friendly enough - after all, he liked to think he was close with all his fellow Vixens, at least the ones he’d gotten to know in his last year on the squad. It would only be a matter of time before he was close with Isadora, he thought, and there wasn’t any better time than now, on this beautiful day outside Fox Tower.

“Aw, really? It’s gonna be fun though!” he replied. “Some of the Vixens do a group costume, if you’re into that. Plus, it’s one of the only times we get a full squad picture out of uniform.” Noah was pretty sentimental, himself, having learned to appreciate every second of life he was given when it was nearly taken from him, so the idea of a fun picture in costume with his closest friends was at least important to him, if no one else. Halloween wasn’t really his favorite time of year, but any excuse to lower the caution he’d been taught to exercise so strictly was a welcome one. “Yeah, but if I don’t start now, I usually forget until last minute, then my decision comes down to what supplies aren’t sold out at Walmart.”

                    Being new to the squad meant that Isadora was still trying to figure out who to trust and who not to trust. She still hadn’t quite gotten some of the Vixen’s vibes down yet, however she was on her way to figuring out which people she was never going to trust and which she wanted to confide in – if the moment came to it. Unlike some, Isadora liked the first few weeks of the semester. She adored getting to know her professors outside of class and start cracking her books open. While Isadora knew that she was the furthest away from the smartest person at the school, she did take learning seriously. Most of the time that was her excuse for not talking to the other Vixens – or really anyone for that matter. She had better things to do than pretend that she was going to place nice with others. Isadora didn’t want to be rude, however anyone that she talked to, she made sure that they knew that she was here for her education first. Cheer was just her way of getting outside her comfort zone.

                   She wondered how many of them were going to try and pry information out of them. A group of cheerleaders that cheered for a team of broken people had to be broken themselves in some way. Isadora liked others to talk about themselves rather than spill information about herself. She didn’t want to be in a similar position as she had been before. Bullied for something she had no control over. Isadora wasn’t a monster. She liked most people. She wasn’t a murderer; she wasn’t her mother. So it was a bit hypocritical to want to know the Foxes without letting them get to know her. There were things that they could know about her. She’d always been so proud of her past until people thought she should be ashamed of it.

                   She didn’t have an excuse not to go, though she had been hoping that her friends would find something to do. Parties weren’t her thing. “Last year my friends and I got together for a scary movie marathon where we then had a discussion about how terrible the movie was – either scientifically or plot wise.” Okay, so that sounded lame, but Isadora liked that. “You can photoshop me into the picture,” she shrugged. “You could always make your costume. My dad did that for me when I was younger. Surprisingly, there aren’t any costumes of famous female scientists. I learned a bit about sewing when one year my Marie Curie dress got a small tear in it and my dad was out of town.”

[isadoraelbert-blog]

mckennamonroe:

McKenna frowned in thought, unsure how to best describe her grandparents. It was easy to make them sound cruel, but she knew they wanted what was best for it–that they had the best intentions, even if the execution was faulty. “They’re really conservative,” She explained with a little wince. “Old fashioned. They still think I’m too young to date and would rather I wear a collar that goes up to my neck.” Which was why they were so horrified when they found out she joined the cheer squad back in high school. The skirts were too short, fabric too tight, and the combination was “just asking for boys to look.” She chose Palmetto to get some distance from them, but going behind their back wasn’t part of the original plan. 

“Then they’re not worth it,” She shook her head with a little smile. It wasn’t her usual attitude, she cared a lot about what people thought about her, but that was changing the older and more comfortable with herself she got. She had no problem telling Adam off a little bit, which was already a big step for her. “I’m just going with Lukas,” McKenna shrugged. “Just as friends. I’m sure we’ll all kind of hang around each other.” It was her first banquet, but with how tight-knit the team was, she wouldn’t be surprised if the Vixens grouped together. She definitely didn’t know the Foxes well enough to stray. “No, not really,” She laughed softly. “I still don’t know most of their names. I more meant seeing the opposing teams though. It sounds like it’ll be awkward.”

                   Isadora loved her parents very much. They’d been through a lot of her random moods and helped her through high school. She knew that they were some of the best people that she had in her life. She couldn’t say that about her brother – or her mother for that matter. Though part of Isadora wanted to know why McKenna lived with her grandparents – her curiosity would always get the better of her – she wasn’t going to pry. She didn’t want to get attached to these girls. Isadora wanted to know them without trying to get attached to them. She wasn’t sure how that was going to work, but she’d figure it out some way. “That sucks. If my parents would have been like that, I would have just run away.” Luckily, they hadn’t been. Her parents were amazing. Or at least the people she considered her parents. “My parents were thrilled when I joined the cheer squad in high school. It looked good on my college applications.” Palmetto was a way to get away from Michigan. She didn’t like the south, but that was a small price to pay to get away from her mother’s legacy.

                   “Mmm,” she replied. “I learned that a long time ago.” A lot of people had problems with Isadora. She didn’t make that obvious, but she knew that people did have issues with her. She didn’t have a problem with standing up for herself because she knew that it was important to be herself. “That’s nice. I was going to ask one of my friends, but I think they’re all avoiding me. Former mathletes don’t get along with athletes.” Myself included, she thought but didn’t say aloud. “Well I’m sure you know more of them than I do. I tend to not associate with that crowd. Not that I don’t want to get to know them. It’s just I’m busy trying to you know, stay on track academically so I can graduate on time.” School was important to her. More than anything else. She just couldn’t quit cheering -- that was important to her too. “I actually think my friends are shooting mock rockets or something. That sounds a lot more fun than being around a bunch of sweaty, gross athletes that think I want to dance with them.” 

[isadoraelbert-blog]

mckennamonroe:

McKenna nodded in understanding. It was probably unusual to involve the cheerleaders in a banquet for the Exy players, but she appreciated that they made an effort to include them. Otherwise, it was unlikely she would end up having any sort of event to dress up for in years. “I can’t even tell my grandparents,” She laughed as she leaned against the wall, fishing in the foiled bag for another cracker. She could tell them that it was a school banquet and not an Exy one, but then her grandmother would start policing her on proper etiquette, like the modesty of her dress or to not dance too close to the boys. 

“With this team, I don’t think  sarcasm will be a problem,” McKenna laughed. The Foxes had such varying personalities, but it was clear that a good amount of them could be pretty sarcastic or had a dry sense of humor. She could imagine Isadore fitting in well with them. Besides, it wasn’t like the other Vixens didn’t have a sarcastic side to them. “I ended up finding a dress that I think works. It’ll be weird being around all those players from the other teams.”

                    She was partly ready for the banquet, but also not really looking forward to it. How did someone explain that to another person? She loved being around other people, however not when she was forced to be around them. Isadora didn’t exactly scream functioning human being to anyone. Not with the way she ignored authority. McKenna laughed after the comment she made, but Isadora got the feeling that it wasn’t funny. She furrowed her brow in response. “Why not?” she asked. Isadora was curious about her teammates. As much as she didn’t want to get along with them, she partially wanted to get to know them. Fitting in was important to her -- though standing out was also important. She didn’t want the same thing to happen to her that happened to her before and she’d do anything to keep that from happening. Part of that was learning her what her teammates were like. 

                    “Oh, I’m sure it’ll be a problem with someone,” she said with a small chuckle. Isadora wanted to get to know the Foxes a little better. She figured she’d probably get along well with them. But she also didn’t want to be pushy. “That’s good. Do you have a date?” She knew dates weren’t required for them, however, Isadora wanted to know if she was going to be one of the few people without a date. Her friends were all busy tomorrow, so knowing wasn’t going to change much. "What do you mean weird being around other players from other teams? Do you often spend time with the Foxes?” She didn’t keep tabs on her teammates and who they hung out with. 

[isadoraelbert-blog]

cadencelowell:

It was almost overly-helpful and Cadence’s inclination was to be suspicious. It was how they’d gotten to her the last time. Her former team, playing on her desperation for friendship, getting into her head and making her thing they were helping her. She didn’t even realize the hazing had already started until it was too late. How many nights had she stayed awake and wondered how often they spent laughing behind her back? 

She pushed viciously at those thoughts now, looking at Isadora and trying not to see an enemy. This was a different place and these were different people and Cadence had to find a way to let go. She just raised her shoulders, offering Isadora a hand and pretending she didn’t notice the slight tremor in her fingers. “If you say so, but don’t say I didn’t warn you about what you’re getting yourself into." 

                    She wasn’t part of the Vixens to help fix anyone -- especially not the Foxes. Isadora didn’t believe that anyone needed to be fixed except one person: oneself. She didn’t think fixing people was the right thing to do. All Isadora could do was be there for someone. Learn to gain a person’s trust and promise not to do the same thing that had been done to them in the past. Other people could be assholes, and if Isadora could at least be one person that wouldn’t be like that, then at least she wasn’t like her old teammates. But she wasn’t going to pretend that she wouldn’t ever break a promise to someone because that was a fool’s thought process. 

                    Maybe if it were a different night, she wouldn’t have offered to dance with anyone -- except Isadora was really trying. She always hated her want to fit in with people, to be liked by them. She hated feeling like that too because it only ever got her into trouble. Isadora focused on Cadence, not their surroundings. “Don’t worry, I’m tougher than I look,” Isadora laughed. There weren’t a lot of people near them, she took hold of Cadence’s hand, leading them towards the dance floor. “It’s been a while since I’ve danced with a pretty girl.” 

[isadoraelbert-blog]

louishgranger:

Louis personally didn’t understand how someone couldn’t enjoy parties. What wasn’t to like? There was usually free food and free booze, along with good looking people and usually good music. He couldn’t empathise with people who weren’t as extroverted as him, especially when he was nearly always looking for a good time and if he couldn’t find one then he’d make one. The banquet was tame but he was hoping there’d be some kind of after party and failing that: some of these players were probably going to be in own over night and that presented a whole load of other possibilities.

He hoped that if others weren’t having as good a time as him then at least he hoped they could find some comfort with their own team. Louis was already making a point to check in on everyone to make sure they weren’t like…crumbling under the pressure or having panic attacks or anything. He thought he was doing a pretty good job until he walked into Isadora. “Thank God, it’s too early to ruin someone’s night,” Louis muttered as he wandered away from the splashes of drink on the floor, pretending he had nothing to do with them. He looked over at the group Isadora pointed to and hummed considerably as he studied them. “Which one has the best butt? Becuase a good butt usually means good core strength and that’s very important in a dance partner,” he said.

                    Isadora was the type that liked to be around people, but she liked being around specific types of people. An entire group of athletes for a game she didn’t quite understand and cheerleaders wasn’t her type of crowd -- but a party with a bunch of her math and science buddies was different. This type of crowd was just outside her comfort zone. Hopefully, the banquet could end soon and she’d go back to doing the things she liked. She knew that people weren’t going to understand the way she was, but she’s always thought that if someone didn’t understand her then they weren’t worth it. She didn’t have to explain herself to anyone. Isadora wondered how many people actually wanted to be here. From the looks of it, everyone seemed uncomfortable. 

                    She didn’t understand why she had to be here, though it wasn’t like she had many better things to do. She hoped that she wasn’t going to make a fool of the Foxes. The Vixen might not like to be around a lot of people in a situation like this, but she wasn’t going to let people know that she didn’t want to be here. She glanced at Louis. “Oh, no, seeing your face still ruined my night,” she said jokingly, “I’ll just have to find someone fun to dance with to make my night better and forget I even saw you.” Her brand of jokes weren’t usually funny, but she didn’t care. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked over the people standing in a circle looking at them all closely, evaluating them with Louis’ advice. “Well, then obviously it’s no one in that group because yikes.” As long as she was here she might as well have some fun.

[isadoraelbert-blog]

rollinsgrant:

“Sure,” Grant agreed easily, because of course it was about the end, about winning against the odds. Grant was nothing if not determined, and he’d been focused on the endgame for years. Dreaming of the future was what got him by on rough days, and buoyed him on his good ones. But this game? This wasn’t the end. It wasn’t even close. Regardless of the outcome, this was simply one step. It was only the second game of the year, after all. They had the rest of the season to get through—and for Grant, the draft loomed at the end of the year, a target he’d been working towards for most of his life. 

Of course, even that wasn’t the finish line. The draft was just another hurdle, and getting onto a pro team was just another step. In the end, he’d only be satisfied once he stood alongside the US Court, and he knew it. This wasn’t about just playing Exy for the rest of his life. It was about pushing himself to play Exy at his best possible level, and proving to both himself and the rest of the world that he could do it.

In Grant’s mind, it was completely unnecessary for her to turn around and attempt to console him at the end of a game, especially one they’d won. It wasn’t like he needed it, and it didn’t help that he didn’t agree with everything she’d said. Grant had to believe that he could and would have an active hand in his future. Otherwise, what was the point? And maybe they couldn’t choose everything that happened to them, but when it came to Exy, they had every chance to control the outcome. It was about skill: not fate, not luck.

Even if he’d wanted to vent though, he had no intention of doing it here, with some woman he’d only just met. That was what Dr. Dobson was for. He knew the therapist, and trusted her. He didn’t know Isadora. Besides, he was fine. Less than perfect game notwithstanding, he’d played well, and they’d been victorious. It was enough, for now. 

So: “I’m fine, thank you,” he said, automatically. His tone, as always with strangers, was more businesslike than social. By now, it was Grant’s default setting outside of the Foxes. Hell, with the Foxes too, when he felt they needed a Captain more than a teammate. “I’m happy we won, and my team played well, for the most part. I was just acknowledging that tonight could’ve gone better.” He cleared his throat, looking to change the subject. “If you don’t know much about Exy, why did you choose the Vixens then?”

                    Isadora knew enough about looking at the end product – she believed that sometimes you did have to look at that end product and not the messy bits in the middle. If she didn’t believe that then she would have never gotten through high school. She didn’t know how much of an uphill battle the Foxes had to face, but from the looks of it, it was a massive battle. She might have known little about the sport, but she was going to stand by their side until she graduated. Isadora didn’t know many of the Foxes yet, though she fully planned on befriending as many of them as she could. She didn’t know how many of them would be up for that, however, she wasn’t the type to give up when she saw people that needed her help.

                   She never understood the whole thing about people with a deep need for playing a sport until she found cheerleading. Isadora had always loved the challenge that cheering had given her. Even with the awful people that she sometimes cheered with. She understood the Foxes that wanted to play for more than just what they were playing for. She understood their love for the sport, even as violent as the sport was. Isadora didn’t claim to understand much in the world, except the need to be something. And she knew – looking at all the Foxes – that they were all going to be something. The rest of the assholes that didn’t believe in them, could go away. She’d fight them. Everyone deserved a second chance.

                   She didn’t expect Grant to want to talk to her. After all, it was strange to talk to someone you didn’t know. Sometimes people could trust people that they didn’t know, though most people didn’t. Isadora understood not trusting someone they just met. She’d done that enough times to know that you didn’t trust people you just met with some things. She wasn’t going to fault him for not talking. But her offer still stood even if he’d never talk to her, she was still going to be there in case someone did want to talk to her.

                   “Sure. Everything can always go better, no matter what it is,” she smiled. “But for what it’s worth, it was a good game.” She wasn’t an idiot and knew Grant was trying to change the subject. She didn’t know why she choose the Vixens. Perhaps it had something to do with the team they were cheering for – or something else. She wasn’t entirely sure how to frame the answer, but she couldn’t find a way out of that question either. “I cheered for my high school football team. I wanted a change,” she supposed that was enough of an answer. “I’ll learn, eventually. It’s only the second game.” 

[isadoraelbert-blog]

cadencelowell:

Cadence’s eyes widened at the blunt reaction, though the corners of her mouth pulled upward despite her surprise. Isadora had her full attention now as she let her shoulders relax; it was easier to put her guard down in company who seemed to share her opinions. Then she posed a question that made Cadence freeze. “I don’t know,” she started, her voice hesitant in a way she didn’t like. She looked around, taking in the couples dancing and the players mingling. They were putting in the effort. 

Finally, she looked back at the other girl and raised her shoulders. “I’m terrible but who’s it going to hurt?” Potentially both of them, though she’d keep that to herself.

                    People didn’t always appreciate how blunt Isadora could be. It was a coping mechanism and she knew it. Some people thought such a pretty girl shouldn’t have such a big chip on her shoulder, but when she came from the background she came from, sometimes it was easier to pretend to be tough than admit any sort of weakness. She noticed Cadence easing up a little, which made her a little more relaxed as well. They were at a party which meant that there was dancing. If they didn’t at least try to have fun, then they’d all look miserable and what was the point of looking miserable if they were trying to put on a show? Isadora wasn’t the most comfortable person in situations like this; that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to try and act comfortable. 

                    “Don’t worry, if you just at like you know what you’re doing, it’ll be okay. Sway with the music and I can do the more complicated dancing,” she said with a smile. Isadora hoped that she was coming off as confident, as well as fun and flirty, but sometimes she could be taken the wrong way. She couldn’t exactly tell how Cadence was taking her. 

[isadoraelbert-blog]

mckennamonroe:

McKenna nodded in understanding, not needing to hear anymore. Whenever she hung up with her grandparents, she felt a little more exhausted. Parents or grandparents could easily have that effect. The crackers dropped to the slot and she paused to fish them out, instantly ripping them out as her stomach growled again. She popped back up, the smile vanishing from her lips as Isadora pointed out the unhealthiness of her food. McKenna strayed more towards healthy options, but she still treated herself now and again, especially when she was starving. 

“A little too late for that,” She gave a nervous laugh as she tore open the bag. “Thanks though.” Popping a cracker into her mouth, she let out a happy hum as she chewed, unashamedly enjoying the excessive amount of sodium. “Are you excited for the banquet?” She asked. “It seems like it’s not really a thing that the others enjoy form what I’ve been hearing.” 

                    Isadora loved her parents. Her dads had done a lot for her over the years and she was appreciative of them. Sometimes they just managed to be a little too over protective of her. She could handle herself. She had handled herself for a long time. Although if it hadn’t been for her parents she’d be a miserable person that didn’t have any faith in anyone what-so-ever. Sure she had her problems, but they taught her that it was important to give people at least one other chance. Isadora watched as McKenna choose her snack. She didn’t want to comment on how unhealthy it was, but she couldn’t help it. She was never one to shy away from her opinion. Not anymore at least. 

                    “Eh, suit yourself,” she replied, pulling out her own food. “Don’t worry about it. I’m happy to share any of my food... usually.” Isadora knew her diet wasn’t for everyone. She shrugged at the mention of the banquet. “I think so. I have a nice dress picked out. My dads were confused as to why the Vixens were invited, but I tried to explain it. I’m not the best person to have around at parties. My sarcasm rubs people the wrong way sometimes, but I’ll try.” She tried to laugh off the comment that she knew was true. “What about you?” 

[isadoraelbert-blog]

aidenbotsch:

Aiden flickered his eyes up to Isadora, mouth open as he’d been just about to shove a piece of pizza in his mouth. Moment paused. Someone didn’t eat pizza? That was a first for Aiden. “You don’t eat pizza? Pizza? The gift that was given to us from the gods of the world of dough and cheese land?” He pressed a hand over his heart, the shock evident on his face. Chocolate and pizza. It was the two things that Aiden cherished in this world and if he heard that someone didn’t like them or eat them, he couldn’t help but be dumbfounded. “What in the world has pizza ever done to you?” He playfully teased.

Taking a bit of the pizza, he had no regrets getting the entire pizza. Isadora was right, if there were leftovers then he could just take them to the Den and it would be gone in no time flat. That is if there was any pizza left. “Got your nose pressed into a textbook too. You do know weekends are supposed to be for relaxing, eating, and not studying, right?” Hypocrite considering he’d been telling himself that he was going to have to start doing his homework before it piled up and got out of hand.

                    Some people thought it was weird that Isadora ate the way she did, but she didn’t care what other people thought about her. She’d always been worried about people teasing her about her looks, so she ate a rather strict diet. Which didn’t include pizza. Or not normal pizza anyway. “I eat some types of pizza. I just don’t like anything super processed. Which is literally everything on that pizza. I mainly eat raw foods or make my own... everything.” Her strange diet was difficult to explain. She preferred the simplicity of the way foods were naturally found. Or cooked in a way to bring out their flavors. Pizza just made her feel fat. “Also, if you think about it, you’re just eating fat and carbs. There’s nothing good for you in that.” She scrunched her nose. 

                    “Sure. The weekends are for relaxing... which I can do... after I finish doing my readings for next week.” She had never been the smartest person in the world, but she didn’t claim to be stupid. Isadora liked being ahead rather than behind. “What are you studying?” she asked, trying to make conversation, not because she cared. 

[isadoraelbert-blog]

cadencelowell:

Music pulsed through her chest as she moved around the room, eyes sweeping from left to right. She felt dangerously out of place in the thin-strapped dress and heels. She longed for her sweats and her couch. There was no avoiding the event, though and she did her best to smile and chat until she found a familiar face. 

“If there is a God, he is laughing at me right now." 

                    The music was far too loud. There were a lot of people cramped into a small location. She couldn’t read the room either, but from what she could tell, everyone seemed to be having fun. Or if they weren’t, they were doing a decent job at hiding it. Isadora was thankful that she wasn’t the only one out of place because there were other groups of people that looked just as uncomfortable. Occasionally she noticed a Fox or two chatting with other teams, and she also caught the eye of some of her own teammates. She was thankful when someone came up to her. Although Isadora didn’t know all the Foxes, she did know what they looked like. She’d been to enough games by now. 

                    “God can go fuck off and die for all I care if that’s the case,” she said with a laugh. At least both of them looked good. “I know this isn’t the most comfortable thing, but like, do you want to dance or something?”